The crowning of a queen: June 2, 1953

Monday

Aug 19, 2013 at 10:07 AMAug 19, 2013 at 10:15 AM

Arriving in England on February 6, 1953, from my native Australia, 20 years of age, full of enthusiasm for everything I saw and did except the weather, I wrote my impressions of the day Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, 60 years ago. In June, there was a celebration of this event in London and throughout the UK and far-flung countries that were once part of the British Empire.

Arriving in England on February 6, 1953, from my native Australia, 20 years of age, full of enthusiasm for everything I saw and did except the weather, I wrote my impressions of the day Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, 60 years ago. In June, there was a celebration of this event in London and throughout the UK and far-flung countries that were once part of the British Empire.

6:00 a.m. I have arrived at my seat in Green Park, Piccadilly, as the announcer from the BBC is saying, “Good morning, everybody, the time is now 6 a.m.”

A groan goes up from the crowd, especially those who have been here all night. London weather on this historic day is raining and very cold. The forecast is everything except snow. I will not go into detail what I am wearing or what I brought with me, but you can be assured I came prepared for everything.

Despite the thousands, or should I say millions, of people thronging the route I had no difficulty in reaching my seat. To keep the people engaged, and their minds off the weather, the BBC has recorded music coming over the amplifiers which will be used later for the Abbey ceremony and to give a description of the procession and parade.

The last broadcast was an announcement from the RSPCA to all cat and dog owners asking if they have left their pets at home without food and water. The British get their priorities in order.

8:00 a.m. is the time set for all the Abbey guests to be in their assigned places. I have seen two carriages going past the stand where I am sitting, both carrying members of the peerage and their ladies showing magnificent colour in their crimson robes with white ermine and jewel trimmings.

My seat is halfway back in an open stand for which I paid 4 pounds to the office of the Australian High Commissioner where I have employment. When the procession passes I should be about 20 yards away with a really good view. The news is being broadcast at the moment and the weather forecast is dull, cloudy weather with heavy showers, light hail and a few brief sunny periods. How jolly, how very jolly. It might as well have said, warm and cold, wet and dry. Summer was the previous weekend. This writer is too caught up in the history and excitement of the moment for her Australian bones to suffer too much.

From where I am sitting I can see a wide variety of clothing hanging on people in the most peculiar places. High style is not expected when sitting on a hard seat in the open stands lining the post Abbey ceremony parade route; however, there are some beautifully-dressed women walking around. Then there’s the all-nighters who are clothed in the most peculiar but necessary garments that probably have never been worn before and possibly not again until the next coronation. All this variety in the lowly 4-pound seat section.

The crowd has become quiet as if waiting for something exciting to happen. I can hear strains of cheering and clapping coming from the direction of Hyde Park Corner. Must be something coming. It has come alright – a man on a bicycle. He is waving and cheering as if he were royalty himself. Good British humour.

There’s nothing much else to write about just now except a word about the policemen. Thousands of them have been lining the route since the very early hours and they give me the impression they are loving every minute of it. Nothing is too much trouble and always a smile.

9:20 a.m., still very cold, but things are starting to get under way. I can now see the regiment of Royal Engineers who are to line Piccadilly coming into view and following after them contingents from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Paratroopers and many other regiments who are to line various sections of the parade route. They are marching six abreast and look very smart with uniforms immaculate and shoes shining. There’s a gap of about five minutes and now more have come marching into view with the Royal Artillery at the head of the line. I would love to take photos of them all, but the number of film I brought with me would not last very long if I took everything that appeals to me.

This procession of the troops who are lining the route is giving the crowd a very tiny taste of what is to come this afternoon when the procession comes by. It hasn’t rained for the past hour, but it is still freezing and every now and again a gush of wind comes straight from the North Pole. Second of June, Coronation Day, London, and the temperature is 46 degrees.

Looking down Piccadilly towards Constitution Hill I can see more troops coming – another section of the Royal Artillery. Until now the men have had their rain capes on and now they have removed them, revealing the full splendour of their uniforms.

The squad directly facing the stand where I am sitting is evidently a bunch of “new recruits” because three quarters of them don’t even know what is a right turn. I feel very sorry for them because all the other troops appear to be highly-trained and these chaps are making mistakes. It is really quite funny to watch and they are blushing to the high heavens – you can see it all from here. I might add they received a very special cheer from the crowd. Some of the troops further up are practically weighed down to the ground with medals. The man sitting next to me has given me his binoculars and what is seen through them is a most impressive sight.

I can now hear great cheering and clapping coming from the crowd further down – something must be coming. This time it’s the garbage man sitting up on his little cart, waving and inclining his head to the crowd just the way you see the Royal family do it. The cleaners have been coming around all day keeping the route as free of rubbish as is possible.

By this time in the day the cushion that came with my 4 pound seat is most welcome.

25 past 10 a.m. and the procession has just started from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. We do not see the procession to the Abbey; however, there is a description coming over the loudspeakers. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret have now arrived at the Abbey and a fanfare of trumpets greets them followed by the national anthem. We are told the state coach carrying the queen and Prince Phillip is now going along the embankment where they are being greeted in loud fashion by 28,000 schoolchildren.

The Queen’s coach has now reached the Abbey and whilst she is changing her robes we are getting a descriptive broadcast of the scene inside the Abbey. Whilst this description is going on, a trailer containing little white parcels is being wheeled down Piccadilly in very regal style. Those little white parcels contain food for the soldiers. The looks on their faces as they peer into the bags to see what they have is very comical and sends the crowd into roars of laughter. I can see one chap tucking something away in his pocket probably to be eaten afterwards. The view is making me hungry so I shall eat.

2:10 p.m. During the past two-and-a-half hours whilst the ceremony has been proceeding, it has been raining heavily. The ceremony was very impressive, to say the least, and quiet was maintained by everyone during this period. The rain has definitely put a damper on things, literally, and being wet doesn’t help one to feel warmer.

As I look up Piccadilly I can see the first section of the procession coming into view. It has started to rain again and the regiments of troops marching past (they come from every service of every country throughout the Commonwealth) are being soaked to the skin – and so are we in the stands. The dull skies and rain have not spoilt the magnificence of it, but it would be so much nicer and brighter if only the sun could come out just a little.

At the moment, the parade has halted and it is so cold the poor Scotties who are just in front of us, in their battle dress tunics, are having trouble keeping their knees from shaking. The band has started to play “Land of Hope and Glory” and the troops immediately in front of us are the Queen’s Scots Guards and the South African Army. I think one thing that is sadly missing in the parade is the lack of bands. I’m told that is owing to the wet weather. Pity. Band music makes things much brighter.

Here comes the rain again and it is just pouring down. The crowd has started to sing “Pack Up your Troubles in your Old Kit Bag” and don’t appear to be unduly worried.

The main procession of troops has now passed and the carriages have come into view. Leading are members of Parliament throughout the Commonwealth: Robert Menzies from Australia, the Queen of Tonga, Mr. St. Laurent from Canada and Winston Churchill from Britain. Mr. Menzies looks very dignified and proud sitting up there and Mrs. Menzies looks ravishing. The Royal Procession has started and I have now seen the Duchess of Kent and her family, the Princess Royal and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother and last of all in a coach that could have come straight from fairyland, the Queen herself sitting beside Prince Phillip. It is hard to believe that any of them are human beings.

Princess Margaret is the tiniest person and the Queen Mother I think looks the most radiant of all. Prince Phillip is sitting on my side of the carriage and I can get a better view of him than the Queen. It would be impossible to describe the jewels every member of the Royal family is wearing. They appear to be just one mass of white glitter. The Queen is carrying the Sceptre and Orb and wearing the State Crown, together with a diamond necklace, bracelets, earrings, rings and jewels all over her gown. It’s a magnificent sight although somewhat out of focus with the rain pelting down on our already wet bodies.

It all passed by too quickly. I hurried to get some photo snaps and I hope they turn out all right; however, I doubt it, what with the rain and people bobbing up and down all the time.

The Queen’s carriage was at the end of the parade

and it is now time to nip very nimbly down through the park and wait for it to come down the Mall into Buckingham Palace.

This will be the end of my “live” writing and anything I see and do for the rest of the day will be written about back in my lodgings.

I arrived at the Palace and whilst I didn’t see much of the parade after it went past the stand where I was sitting I found myself standing in a choice spot in the front row of the mass of people in front of the Palace when the RAF fly-over came by and had a wonderful view of the Royal Family and all their attendees on the balcony. Little Prince Charles and Princess Anne could be very clearly seen bobbing up and down waving madly to the crowd.

After being in a crowd that must have been a million or more bodies I made a vow I would never again eat sardines. I know exactly what one feels like. I did take home to my lodgings souvenir bruises marking the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was almost unbelievable the good behaviour the people showed.

After having been up since 4 a.m. when it was all over I felt very weary, wet and cold so I decided to return to my lodgings and spend the night reflecting on what I had seen and listen to the Queen’s broadcast on radio at 9 p.m. It was a wonderful day which I knew would live with me for better or for worse for the rest of my life. Notwithstanding my callow youth which did not allow me to fully comprehend the history of the day.

It has been 60 years since I wrote this narrative on the day Queen Elizabeth II was crowned. She is still living and so am I. Over the years many wonderful and unbelievable experiences have come my way; however, this day, June 2, 1953, will always, in my mind and memories, be magic.

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